DREAD IT - What I did

My job as the systems designer was to design for the core gameplay, enemy behavior, and player systems. I designed all the items that the player can use, which is their main way of interfacing with the mechanics. I also contributed code for the prototype of the game, which was used for playtesting while the custom engine was still in development.

CORE GAMEPLAY

The core gameplay went through many, many iterations before the final version was settled upon. There was a large disparity in size between the designers and programmers on the team, and decisions about the core gameplay were often reworked. I focused on reigning the game in on its design pillars to create a tense, strategic horror experience that allows for careful planning and challenging execution.

ENEMY BEHAVIOR

I designed complex behavior for the enemy that the player tries to avoid in each level. It has multiple different states, and transitions between them both at scripted points and depending on player actions. I worked closely with the programmers working on the enemy behavior to create a monster that provides both tension and a good challenge to the player.

PLAYER TRAPS AND TOOLS

My largest contribution to the game was via the many traps and tools I designed for the player to be able to use. The game was designed so that the player cannot fight or kill the monster, and can only set traps and use tools to slow it down. Many of the different traps and tools that the player uses interact with each other in chain reactions, and allow for strategic planning and tight execution in gameplay.

PROTOTYPING

Because DREAD IT was made in a custom engine, the process of development was both for the game and for the engine. While the engine was in its early days, I worked with the other designers on the team to create a prototype of the gameplay in Unity using C#. This is what was used for testing until there was a product to test in the custom engine.